Spine Archive: Osteoporosis

Unnatural spinal back-bowing curvature and other spinal deformities can be found here in Dr. Anthony Leone’s Knowledge Center.

Achondroplasia (abnormal bone growth), spondylolisthesis (vertebral slippage), and osteoporosis (loss of bone mass) are among the most common causes of lordosis. Obesity can also lead to this abnormal curvature. Because of this, it’s important to live a healthy lifestyle with proper diet, posture, and exercise to ensure your spine is healthy. In children, lumbar hyperlordosis can be the result of a vitamin D deficiency.

Osteoporosis & Kyphosis are linked closely together because of the affect they have on our spines. Want to find out more? Read on here in Dr. Leone’s Knowledge Center.

Patients with osteoporosis suffer from a loss or decrease of bone mass. When too many breakages occur along the spine from this weakness, the backbone will begin to curve forward. Patients with kyphosis will often look like they are stooped over or hunching. Severe kyphosis can cause the patient to appear extremely bent over, almost exhibiting a hump. Kyphosis can be the cause of pain associated with nerves pinching and other elements of the back being stretched.

Reduced bone mass in patients with Osteoporosis can greatly affect the spine – even daily activities can be a burden. To learn more about osteoporosis and the spine, search here in Dr. Leone’s Knowledge Center

The bones (or vertebrae) in our spine provide support to our upper and lower back. Vertebral fracturing or compression fractures can be the result of osteoporosis – a weakening of bone mass causing the bones to incur damage much easier than normal. Bone breakage in the spine can be extremely painful. When multiple breaks happen, the spine can become curved and start affecting our height.

Spine health is instrumental to a healthy lifestyle. To learn more about the spine, please search Dr. Anthony Leone’s Knowledge Center.

Proper movement while exercising and performing daily activities is key to protecting your spine – especially for those with osteoporosis. By performing activities safely, you can greatly decrease the likelihood of a serious injury to your spine. The best exercises you can do if you have osteoporosis will involve movements that DO NOT lead to bending forward, twisting, lifting heavy objects. Please do not perform crunches or sit-ups as these are forward motions and are not good for osteoporosis.

Keeping your back, and more importantly, your spine in top shape is important to not only back health but your lifestyle as a whole. Learn more about the spine here in Dr. Leone’s Knowledge Center.

The muscles that reside down the length of your back and spine are called the erector spinae muscles. These muscles are responsible for added support and help to strengthen not only your back, but your entire body. By keeping these muscles strong (and also flexible, flexibility is also important) you can prolong and even enhance your lifestyle. For those living with osteoporosis, please remember when exercising and performing daily activities that bending your spine forward is not advised. This puts added stress on your spine.

Bone density tests are tied to certain standards, these standards exist under a dual-energy x-ray scan, also called a DEXA scan. In this test, a low energy x-ray is passed through the bone, generally in the hips and spine. This test examines bone density and will assess for osteoporosis.

Learn more about Osteoporosis in Dr. Leone’s Knowledge Center.

Osteoporosis is a systemic, age-related metabolic disorder affecting the entire axial and appendicular skeleton. It results in decreased bone mass and an increased incidence of fractures. The bone mass that remains has a normal calcium content and normal bone matrix. Primary osteoporosis is an age-related loss of bone mass. Secondary osteoporosis is loss of bone as a result of an associated endocrinopathy or disease state. As the percentage of the elderly has increased in the United States, so has the incidence of osteoporosis-related disorders.¹

Degenerative lumbar scoliosis can result from untreated idiopathic scoliosis, but it more frequently occurs independently as a sequela of the aging process in combination with osteoporosis. Many patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis have a combination of both mechanical back pain and spinal stenosis.